County airport to replace hangars

The state Department of Transportation awarded the airport a $350,000 grant Wednesday to replace a set of hangars dating to the 1950s, airport Manager David Wright said.

Currently there are 40 hangars, several per building, and there are no vacancies. Eight airplanes will have to be temporarily moved to accommodate the project, he said. The grant money will also be used to build additional hangars.

The state will pay 50 percent of the project and the county is responsible for the rest, according to PennDOT information specialist Erin Waters. The state funds could become available within weeks, she said.

The funding comes from the state’s jet fuel tax revenue and is administered by PennDOT’s Bureau of Aviation, she said.

The county airport was among 18 chosen this year to share $3.9 million in grant money for safety improvements and upgrading facilities. There are 133 public-use airports and heliports in Pennsylvania.

Advertisement

“This funding will help these airports become better places for customers and employees,” PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler said in a media release Wednesday.

The state grants are four-year plans that are adjusted annually.

Somerset County commissioners pursued the grant.

“I’m thrilled with how much they are committed to this airport,” Wright said.